Remembering Dad

There’s just something about daddys and their daughters. 

When I saw Chris pick up our first baby girl all those years ago, I knew she didn’t need to say a word, he was forever smitten. Now we have 3 daughters, when they call with a problem he is ready to jump into action at a moments notice. Dads want to protect their daughters. 

Dads are like cops, they instinctively protect and serve even when we act like jerks. They are also there to correct and detain when needed. I had a fierce love for dad, as well as a healthy fear. He was the parent who played games with us and took us for bike rides. Dad understood style which is why he took me shopping for prom dresses but also was the one who told me to “March back up to your room and put on something acceptable” when teenage fashion was a little too revealing. And the words, “dad will talk to you about this!” put the fear of God in me most the time. My memories of dad are different from my brothers’ memories. So I guess, it is a daddy-daughter thing. 

In the end, I am the one who visited dad in the nursing home and eventually the hospital and I am the one mourning dad’s death. I was robbed. This stupid Rona took 10 months of dads life. I miss dad horribly. 

Dad went into the hospital on Saturday night with pneumonia in the end stage of life. After 19 years of Parkinson’s and 4 years of living in a nursing home dad was more than ready to go be with God. Dad did not have covid until he had been in the hospital for 4 days. I had to fight for the right to spend time with my dying dad and allow our daughters the opportunity to say goodbye to their Opa. I don’t regret one thing I said or did at the hospital. Aunt Delma would have been so proud of me! 

Dads service will be in the spring.

On December 26th we spent the day in Kansas City doing things dad loved. Honoring the guy who loved art, food and shopping (amongst other things) 

 

Daniels Davids Esthers and Peters

This isn’t original with me but well worth the read. I don’t want to forget it so I wrote it in my journal tonight and writing it here for safe keeping and easy access. 

Blessings to you my friends, family and fellow blog readers. 

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“Don't feel sorry for or fear for your kids because the world they are going to grow up in is not what it used to be. God created them and called them for the exact moment in time that they're in. Their life wasn't a coincidence or an accident. Raise them up to know the power they walk in as children of God. Train them up in the authority of His Word. Teach them to walk in faith knowing that God is in control. Empower them to know they can change the world. Don't teach them to be fearful and disheartened by the state of the world but hopeful that they can do something about it. Every person in all of history has been placed in the time that they were in because of God's sovereign plan. He knew Daniel could handle the lions den. He knew David could handle Goliath. He knew Esther could handle Haman. He knew Peter could handle persecution. He knows that your child can handle whatever challenge they face in their life. He created them specifically for it! Don't be scared for your children, but be honored that God chose you to parent the generation that is facing the biggest challenges of our lifetime. Rise up to the challenge. Raise Daniels, Davids, Esthers and Peters! God isn't scratching His head wondering what He's going to do with this mess of a world. He has an army He's raising up to drive back the darkness and make Him known all over the earth. Don't let your fear steal the greatness God placed on them. I know it's hard to imagine them as anything besides our sweet little babies, and we just want to protect them from anything that could ever be hard on them, but they were born for such a time as this.”

-Alex Cravens, refers to himself as “just a dad”